Background: Flatfoot is commonly seen in the community and is a common cause of concern for parents because it could become symptomatic and lead to decreased quality of life. One of the most used management approaches is foot orthoses, although no clear evidence supports their use. We aimed to study flatfoot symptoms’ prevalence, effect on activities of daily living, and the use and effectiveness of orthoses. Methodology: This was a cross‐sectional study that included five countries from the Middle East and North Africa region (Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, and Iraq). Data were collected using an online questionnaire directed toward parents of children aged 0 to 16 from September to December 2020. The demographic factors were expressed as frequencies (percentages) using standard descriptive statistical parameters, and Pearson’s chi-square test was used to examine the relationship between study factors. Results: 1256 participants were recruited using this online survey. The majority (29.6%) of children were diagnosed in the age group of 0 to 2. The abnormal appearance of the foot was the most common (78.7%) complaint. Overall, 54.2% of patients were prescribed orthoses, of which 36.8% noticed improvement in flatness and 37.6% reported relief of symptoms. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that most participants have no or minimal symptoms and that there is a mismatch between participants’ expectations and the actual effectiveness of orthoses. Taking into consideration that there is no clear evidence to support the corrective effect of orthoses, we recommend that physicians prescribing them adhere more to their proper indications and spend more time and effort counseling and addressing patients’ and parents’ concerns about this developmental stage.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of genitourinary syndrome of the menopause (GSM) signs and symptoms and their severity in postmenopausal Jordanian women attending a tertiary care hospital in Jordan. A cross-sectional study was conducted on women with medical records at the University of Jordan Hospital complaining of symptoms related to the GSM. The participants were contacted by phone, briefed about the study, and asked if they would like to enroll. The study included demographic questions and validated assessments of Urinary Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6) and Vulvar Disease Quality of Life Index (VQLI). Differences in the mean scores were assessed based on data normality and association assessment was performed using Pearson’s chi-square test. GSM was reported by 84.9% of 325 postmenopausal women enrolled in the study with an average of 5.1 symptoms per person. Most of the reported urinary symptoms were stress urinary incontinence (54.8%), followed by urge incontinence (48.6%). Furthermore, most reported genital complaints were vulva itching and/or burning sensations (41.2%) and vaginal discharge (40.3%). GSM interfered with the participants’ sexual activity in 44% of the population studied. Smoking was associated with higher UDI-6 scores (p =0.045), and with stress urinary incontinence (1.74 versus 2.19; p = 0.004) and painful intercourse (1.66 versus 2.27; p = 0.011). Furthermore, high BMI was associated with higher UDI-6 and VQDL1 scores (p = 0.029 and p = 0.043). Dysuria was higher (p = 0.007) in women with shorter years of postmenopause (5 years or less), whereas difficulty in emptying the bladder and GSM interference with sexual activity scores were higher in women who had been postmenopausal for more than 5 years (p = 0.041, p = 0.053). The present study showed that a high percentage of postmenopausal Jordanian women developed GSM, with several symptoms per person. Furthermore, the severity of GSM interfered with sexual activity. Smoking and obesity were associated with overall GSM symptoms in Jordanian women.